NOTA CIENTÍFICA

I'ROPOSED DELETION OF EIGHT SPECIES OF

.
O
O
SNAKF.SFROM TIIE BRAZILIAN STATI~OF RIO
GUANDE DO SUL HERPETOFAUNA

Morros Di-Bemardo *
Márcio 1100xes-Martins**
Roherto }Ja/ltisla de Oliveira*

RESUMO
Proposla de retirada rle oito espécies de serpentes da herpe'ofauna do Estado do
Rio Grande do Snl, Brasil
São rcvistas as citaçõcs dc cspécies de serpenles para o cstiHlo do Rio Grande do
Sul. Oito espécies. para as quais os registros silo equívoeos c/ou nilo são conhecidos
cspécimes-testcmunho. silo retiradas. Silo elas o boídco EIII1<,cl('sl10laellS Cope. 1862
e os coluhrídeos Chirol1illsjlavolilleallls (Jan, 1863), Uophi.1 n".ridiollalis (Schenkel,
190 I), Uophis regillae (Linnaeus. 1758). Liophis Iyphlus (Linnacus, 1758), LYSlrophi.f
semicinclll.\' (Duméril. Bihron & Duméril, 1854), Sibynomor!,hll.f mikallii (Schlegel,
1837) c Siphlo!,his Plllcher (Raddi, 1820). Após esta reavaliação, a rauna de scrpcn-
tes do Rio Grande do Sul passa a ser composla por 73 espécics
P,,:nvras-chave: répteis, distrihuiçilo gcográfica, Doidac. ('oluhridac. Rio Gran-
de do Sul.

Most or lhe knowledgc on lhe rcplilc fauna frol11the Slate of Rio Grande
do Sul (RS) was provided by Thales de Lema, who has workcd on this subject
since lhe 1950's. During the last 45 years, Lema and collahorators published a
series of articles listing the reptile species ofRS (e.g. Lcma, 1958, 1973, 1982,
]987, 1994; Lema & Fabián-Beunnann, 1977; Lema ei a/.. 1980, 1984; Lema
& Ferreira, 1990). The lasl and most comprehensive list of reptik3 from Rio
Grande do Sul was presented in Lema (1994), in which the author revised the
rrevious lists and made comments on the distribution of 78 species of snakes.
Since then, three species have been added: Clelia bic%!' (Peracca, 1904),
-- --- -
· Faculdadc dc l3iociências and Museu de Ciêneias e Tecnologia da ponrincia Universidade
Católica cio Rio Grande do Sul. Av. Ipiranga, 6681, CEP 90619-900. Porto Alegre, RS,
I1ral.il. E-mail: madihe@puers.hrandrholivei@pucrs.br.
.. Museu d" Ciêm ias Nallllais. Fundaçno Zooholâniea do Rio Grande do Sul. Rua DI'. Salvador
França, 1427, CEI' 90690-000. Porto Alegre. RS, Rrazil. E-mail: marciohmartins@fzh.rs.gov.br

COI11UI1.Mus. Ciêl1c Tecl1or. PUCRS. Sér. Zoal.. Porto Alegre. v. 17. 11. I. p. 45-50. jan.-jun. 2004
46
reported by Zaher (1996), Micr/ltlls lell/niscat/ls (Linnaeus, 1758), reported
by Di-Bernardo et aI. (2001), and Apostolepis q/lirogai Giraudo & Scrocchi,
1998,reported by Lema & Cappellari (2001).
. Attempting to access the conservationstatus of the reptile species from
RS (Borges-Martins et aI., 2002; Di-Bernardoet aI., 2003), we carried out a
wide revision of records of ali species cited as occurrll1g in the slate. The
results of lhe aCCllnllJlalcd rcsearch have prodnced no evidence (lf lhe
occurrence of eighl spccics 01"snakes recorded mistakenly, or to which Ihere
is no voucher material.
Chironillsflavolineallls (.Ian, 1863) was rnenlioned by Lema (1994) to
the "EncoslaInferiordoNordesle". Lema(OfJ.cit.) recorded the speciesafter
examining seven embryonic eggs in lhe final stage of development (not
included in any collection). TJlecggs were fOllnd between lhe roots of a big
tree in nalive forest, in the upper portion of Rio dos Sinos, Poço do Carvão,
municipalily ofSão Leopoldo.Twoeggswereopened,revealingembryoswith
colors similar to the adlllt of C. flavolineallls. following Dixon el aI. (1993),
in Brazil, C.flavolincal/ls occurs in the grasssteppesof the MarajóIsland
(Pará), in caatinga-agreste-savannaformalionsof northeastern Brazil, and in
the CamposCerrados of Mato Grosso, Bahia, Goiás, Minas Gerais, and São
Paulo. Dixonet aI.(op. cit.) also statedthat"it seemsto becommon knowledge
that this species lives in grassland-savanl1asiluations".The arca in which the
eggs were found is not in accordancewith lhe supposed habitats ofthe species,
and falls far out ofits known geographical range, Jeaving ~s to assume that lhe
embryos correspond to other species.
Eunecles notaells Cope, 1862 was added to the herpetofaunaofthe RS by
Lema (1987). IIe staled Ihat individuais of this speciesreach the stale when
involuntarily dragged from northern regions by lhe Uruguay River, during
flooding periods. Following Lema (1994), some specimens collected in
Uruguaiana in 1990 were deposiled in the lI1useurnof the Facilidade de
Zootecnia. Ilowever, the IInique spccil11en of E. nolac/ls deposited in that
collection (one unnlll11bcrcd, taxidermizcd head) is frol11Argentina (M.V.M.
Querol and/\.B. Santos,2002, Curatorsofthe IlerpetologicalCollection,pers.
com.). This species is found il1norlhwesterlÍ Urllgllay (/\chaval-Elena, 200 I),
and eastern Corrientes, Argentina (Giraudo, 2001). The proximity of these
are as to RS is noteworthy, leaving us to assume that the species may actually
reach Ihis state. /\lthollgh, to our knowledge, no specimen from the RS is
preserved in any herpetological collection. Therefore, we cautiously preferred
do not consider its occllrrence in this state.
Comun. Mus. (,iêne. Teenol. I'lJCRS. S~r. 7.001.. I'orto Alegre. v. 17. n
47
UOIJhis IIIcridionalis (Schenkel, 190 I) was attribllted 10 RS by Lema
(1987), who wrole: "Cilation of lIoge (1952). Wedid no! see it" [translation
by lhe allthors]. lIoge (1952) did not mention the species (at that time it was
considered as subspecies of Uophis lineatlls (Linnaeus, 1758» from RS, but
10"sollthern Brazil", and lisled specimens hOllsed in the collection of Instituto
nlllanl..n prorccding from lhe Arazilian states ofMinas (Jerais, MaIo Grosso,
SiI" I'alllo and I'arami. The asslII1Iplion 01' I.erna (199'1) Ihal I,. ",('/'idirJ/1(/li.~
reaches thl' northwl'stern RS nceds conlirmalion, sincc. 10 0111'knowledge, no
individual IVasever rccordcd.
Dixon (1983, 1(89) plotlcd one specilllen of LiofJhi.l'reginac (Linl1aeus,
1758) inlo lhe mal' of RS. According to Dixon (200 I, in litt.), the mal' is in
error, and lhe specific plot was based on ol1e specimen (j'0111Minas Gerais
(Museu de Zoologia da Univcrsidade de São Paulo, MZUSP 829). HlIssarn
Z<lher (200 I, pers. com.) revised lhe daI a on this spccimcn, and:onfirmed
Ihal il \Vas collectcd in lhe IIlllnicipality of Pirapor<l, Mil1(ls Gerais. The
asslII1Iplion of LCl11a (1994) lhal L. /'eginac reaches lhe northweslern RS
seellls 10 be hased on Dixon's (1983, J(89) mal'.
UOfJhi.l' tYfJhlll.l'(Linnaeus, 1758) was inclllded in the herpetofauna of
weslern RS by Lema (1987). Later, Lema (1994) reslricted the geographic
dislriblltion of lhe species to the municipality of São Borja. In both cases,
however, no voucher was cited. Following Dixon (1987, j 989), the
southernmosl range oflhis species is northeasternParami,Brazil, in locations
aI leasl 600 km from São Bo~ja. We have not found any specimens of L. typhlus
rrom RS in any herpetological colleclion, and sllggest thal further evidence is
needed for consideringIhis species as pertaining to the RS herpetofilllna.
We arglle for lhe excJusion of Lystrophis .l'emicinctll.l' (Duméril, Bibron &
Dllméril, 1854) from the list ofthe snakes ofRS becallse specil11ens ofthis
species \Vere ncver recorded in Ihis State, despite references in Lema & Fabián-
BellI'Jnann (1977) and Lema (1987, 1994). Lema & Fabián-Beurrnann(1977)
slaled Ihal lhe species "is rarely fOllnd in RS" [Iranslation hy the authorsl, but
no spccimcn 01' locality W<lSgiven. Lema (1987) probahly lollo\Ved Lema &
Fabián-BclIrmann (1977). Lema (1994) n1(linlained lhe spccics in its lisl, but
affinnerl he never saw specimens from RS.
Ihal
UnIil Franco's revision (franco, 19(4) of the name Sihynomorplllls
mikanii (Schlegel, 1837), it was applied erroneously to designate the
specil1';;ns ofS. neuwiedi from RS (e.g. Lema, 1987). Lel11a(1994) followed
fn1l1co's t<lxonomic arrangemcnt, but cited S. mikanii as "very rare in RS"
wilholll reporting any specimen. According to Franco (1994), the southernmost
range of S mikol1ii is Ihc northern portion of Santa Calarina. We suggest Ihat
I. p. 45-50. jall.-juII. 2004
COlllllll. Mus Ciêlle. Teellol. I'UCRS, Sér. 7.001, Porto Alegre. v. 17, 11 '. I' 45-50. jan.-jun. 2004
48
S. mikollii should hc removed rrom the list orsnakes ofRS, sinee no specimen
is known 10 Ihis slate.
Siphlop"is pulc"e/' (Raddi, 1820) was citeel to the state 01'Rio Grande do
Sul by Peters & Orcjas-Minll1da (1970), and to the mlmicipfllity of Torres
(RS) by Lema (1987, 1(94), hut no specimens \Verereferred by these authors.
Prudente (1998), following Lema (1987. '99-1), citc S. 11lllr:"e/,to lhe RS.
Notwithstanding, Prudente (pers. COI11. 200') diel not find any individunl 01'
S. fJ/llc:he/'from RS anel' examining the 1110stimportant Brflzilinn ('ollections.
In addilion, Lema (pcrs. COI11. 2003) sniel Ihat no individlml 01' Ihis specics.
proeeeding rrom RS, was ever seen, and Ihat the previous citations (Lema
1987, 1994) were made considering the existence ofthis species ;n lhe nearby
state ofSanta Calarina. We suggesl that rurlher evidence is needed rrior 10 the
inclusion of this species in lhe herpetoraunaspecies list 01'RS.
ACKNOWLEDGEMF:NTS
To Airton Batista Santos and Mareus V. M. Querol (Pol1tilieifllJniversidade Ca-
tólicado RS. Uruguaial1a).
Ana I.Úeia da Costa Prudel1te(Museu I'araense Emílio
Goeldi, Belém). Francisco Luís Franco (Instituto Bulantan. S1\oPaulo), Glaucia Ma-
ria Funk Pontes, .losé Francisco I'ezzi da Silva and Thalcs de I.ema (Pontilieia Uni-
versidade Católica do RS, Porto Alegre). Hussam EI Dine Zahcr (Museu de Zoologia
da Universidade de S1\oPaulo, S1\oPaulo). James R, Dixon (Texas A & M University.
Collcge Station, USA), Moema Leitão de Araujo (Museu de Ciências Naturais da
Fundação Zoobotâniea do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre), Sônia Tere7.inha Zanini
Cechin (Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Santa Maria). and Eliseu Dias for
providing data and il1/imnation. .101111Measey (Université Paris VI. Rondy Cedex,
France) and Tami Molt (University ofCalifornia. Berkeley. USA) gently revised first
drafis ofthc manuscripl.
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Rceehido cm: 16 dczcmbro 2003; aceito cm: 16 janeiro 2004.

Comun. Mus. Ciêne. Tecnol. PUCl~S. Sér. Zool., Porto Alegre, v. 17, n. I, p. 45-50, jan.-jun. 2004